Nick Reiner pleads not guilty in stabbing deaths of parents Rob and Michele Reiner
Nick Reiner appeared on camera for the first time on Monday since his arrest in December.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty to the alleged murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Monday.
The 32-year-old is facing two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders. He's accused of killing his parents in their Brentwood home back in December.
He was seen on camera for the first time on Monday since his arrest at a hearing that lasted less than five minutes. He wore prison-issued brown pants and a shirt.
Nick Reiner was told he has the right to a quick preliminary hearing, and the judge asked if he agreed to waive that. He responded yes, and the rest of the time, he either looked down or stared at the judge.
His next court date was set for April 29. He remains in jail with no bail.
Nick Reiner's arraignment was delayed after his defense attorney, Alan Jackson -- who helped defend Karen Read in Massachusetts -- withdrew from the case during his court appearance last month.
Nick Reiner was assigned a public defender.
Jackson told reporters after court that he had to withdraw as Nick Reiner's counsel due to "circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control."
"Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder," he added. "We wish him the very best moving forward."
A Reiner family spokesperson said at the time, "They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings."
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman noted that the preliminary April 29 hearing will likely be delayed.
"Because of the volume of the discovery that will have to be gone through by defense council, by the fact that we're still waiting for the coroner's report, and by the fact that if defense council wants to seek any additional expert testimony, it will certainly take additional time," Hochman said.
The question now is: What will be Nick Reiner's defense?
"Even if they don't go with a full-fledged, not guilty by insanity defense, certainly they will try to bring in certain aggravating, or pardon me, mitigating factors with his mental health," said legal expert Joshua Ritter.
Nick Reiner made a brief first court appearance on Dec. 17, during which he waived the right to a speedy arraignment. In his previous appearance, he was behind a wall, not showing his face. For Monday's hearing, the judge allowed cameras.
Since then, sources told ABC News that law enforcement and defense attorneys had been working to piece together Nick Reiner's psychiatric and substance abuse history.
He has a documented history of addiction and substance abuse treatment, and friends have told investigators that his mental health had been deteriorating prior to the fatal stabbings.
A decade ago, Nick Reiner publicly discussed his severe struggles with addiction and mental health after making a movie with his father, "Being Charlie," that was very loosely based on their lives.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were killed early on the morning of Dec. 14, hours after a holiday party at the home of Conan O'Brien. They were found in the late afternoon, authorities said. The L.A. County Medical Examiner said in initial findings that they died from "multiple sharp force injuries," but released no other details, and police have said nothing about possible motives.
Legal experts say the celebrities at O'Brien's party will no doubt be asked to testify.
"Those might be important witnesses. How was he interacting with people? Was he in a heightened, aggravated state?" Ritter asked.
The counts against Reiner come with special circumstances of multiple murders and an allegation that he used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
Hochman says this is a potential death penalty case.
"We will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and we have invited defense council to present to us both in writing and orally in a meeting any arguments that they would like to make in consideration for our going forward or not going forward with the death penalty," Hochman said.
ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
